Former Thief Shares Life Change on National Day of Prayer

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- Today is National Day of Prayer. ABC 6 News was the only TV station there as a group gathered in Rochester to pray for needs here locally.

One man told his story. He says it's a testimony of how overcoming adversity becomes easier with the power of prayer.

One year ago, you never would have thought Brad Watson would be involved with National Day of Pray. "Who I’d become, where I’d ended up, I was completely broken,” said Brad Watson of Rochester.

This time last year a snowstorm hit, so imagine the ground covered in snow. Rochester Police followed a trail of footprints from one house to another that ultimately led to the arrest of two burglars.

"I was heavily addicted to methamphetamine and I had begun a never ending cycle of stealing to get high and getting high to go out and steal,” said Watson.

He's been using drugs since the age of 12, until the day he was caught. "Police followed me and a friends footprints from where we committed one burglary to where we were committing another burglary and I came into Olmsted County Jail," said Watson.

It was there, that Brad says he found God. The judge sent him to Minnesota Adult in Teen Challenge where his life completely changed. "I honestly don't deserve to be here right now, it's all the grace of God,” said Watson.

Now, Brad shares his story just a few hundred feet from where he was just one year ago.

"It's one of those stories that you just almost weep for joy, it's so good to see, when you see the transformation to think that this guy was out stealing and today you see a radically different young man,” said Wendell Armstutz, Rochester’s National Day of Prayer Coordinator.

"I’ve been able to go out to speak to different people around the city. This is the community that I’ve taken so much from and I’ve gotten to give back to it and rebuild some of the relationships and the lives that I’ve helped destroyed,” said Watson.

Brad plans to share his testimony across the nation. There's another National Day of Prayer event at Berean Community Church in Rochester tonight at 7pm.